Improvement in tire-extinguishers



L. HERMAN. FIRE EXTINGUISHEB.

No. 105,203. Patented July 12, 1870.

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LU-DWIG HERMAN,- OF- DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

Letters Patent No. 105,203, dated July 12, 1870.

IMPROVEMZNT IN FIRE-BxTING-UISHERS.

The Schdd'ule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of thename.

To whom it may concern Be it known thatI, LUDWIG HERMAN, of Detroit, inthe county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in an Appar'atus for Extinguishing Fires in Buildingsand I do hereby declare that the following is a true and accuratedescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawingand, the letters of reference marked thereon, and being a part of thisspecification, in which- Y T Figure 1 is an elevationof a store-roomfitted with my improvement, showing it ready for work;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of one of the cornice-' brackets, beingcross-section of the cornice;

Figure 3 is a cross-section of the fire-proof cornice;

Figure 4 is an elevation of the device as when at wor lligure 5 showsthe device closed in the end wall; and

Figure 6 is a plan of l the nozzle.

Like letters indicate like parts in each figure.

The nature of this invention relates to a mcchanism to be applied tostores. and other buildings, to he used-in connection with the hose of afire-engine, in such a manner that, should a fire take place therein, asprayof water will be thrown into the room in which it is placed, andthat the spraying-nozzle may be caused to travel the entire length ofthe room, and thereby extinguish the flames without the necessity of anyperson entering the building.

It consists in the peculiar construction and arrange; ment in the endwall of the building, near one of .the upper corners of the room, of atraveler attached to an endless wire rope, carrying a spraying-nozzle,said rope extending along the top of a fire-proof cornice,

returning through a pipe laid in its lower part to the front. In thebig'ht of the rope, at the front, is a pulley-block, provided with acrank or pawl, by means of which the pulley may be rotated, the block tobe secured to a stake or ring in the pavement when the device is to bebrought into use. When not in use, it is inclosed in a recess in thewall, closed by a suitable door; also, in the construction of afireproof cornice, as more fully hereinafter set forth.

In the drawing- A represents the end or li ont wall of a building, and

a the transverse joists on which the second floor is laid.

B is a fire-proof cornice, constructed of sheet-iron, in lengths of theproper curvature, inserted in the cast-iron brackets B, secured to thewalls of the room.

A pipe, 7), is laid in the lower part of the comice,'for the purposehereinafter set forth. The interior of the cornice is then filled withany suitable non-conducting material.

- At various intervals in the length of the cornice, a bracket isprovided with a carrying-roller, c, journaled in it, as-shown in fig. 2.

O is an opening in the wall A, in front of the cornice, closed by themetallic doorD, which is in two sections, the lower hinged to the wall,and the upper to the lower section. 4

\Vheu closed, the dooris held shut by a spring latch,

11, which may be operated. by a wire extending down the front wall inany convenient manner, so that the door will fall outward when releasedfrom the latch.

On the inner side of the lower section of the door is secured aguide-frame, E, in which are journaled two sets of guide-rollers, c c, acurved guide, f; leading to the former.

F is a continuous or endless wire rope, extending along the cornice, andreturning to the front through the tube 11, where the under section,passes over the ronersd, and the upper section over the" rollers e inthe guide-frame E. The rope should be of such length that it may reachnearly. to the ground toward the middle of the street in front of thebuilding, being rove around a pulley in the block G, which, when broughtinto use, is connected with a stake or ring, 9, permanently fixed in thepavement by a rope, 71, provided with any suitable means of taking upthe slack of the wire rope.

This tightening device and connecting-rope may be carried on thefire-engines, if desired, as the whole device is to be operated by thefiremen.

.H is a hollow traveler, secured .to the wire rope, an provided, at therear end, with a suitable coupling,.by

means .of which the engine-hose .may be connected therewitln. The frontpart of the traveler is turned to a rightangle with the body thereof,and terminates in aspray-nozzle, H, which rests on and projects be yondthe ledge of the cornice.

.W'hen not in use, the block G is stowed in theupper part of therecessO, lyingin a pair of arms hinged therein, in such a manner that,when the door D is opened, their outer ends will drop from the positionshown in fig.5 to that shown in fig. 4, when the block will drop to theground ready to be attached to the stake or ring; when, if a. fire isdiscovered under way in the store, the wire rope is stretched taut, as

hereinbefore mentioned; the hose of the engine is thencoupled to thetraveler, and the pulley rotated in the block G by a crank provided forthat purpose; when the traveler will enter the store, passing along theguide-rollers c on the cornice. At this time the en-' gine should forcewater through the hose, which is discharged through the spray-nozzletoward the opposite side of the room, and, as the traveler'is caused toadvance to the rear end of the room, the flames will be extinguished asit progresses.

story, and all or either may be As an ordinary woodencornice would, inmany instances, be destroyed before the firemen could reach thebuilding, I construct the cornice as described to resist destructionuntil water can be thrown on the fire.

If desired, a small perforated water-pipe, I, shown in secti'eninfi s. 2and 3 connected with the service;

pipeof the building, may be arranged to keep the core nice wet from thetime the fire is discovered by opening a cock placed in the front wallof the building.

As shown in figs. 1 and 4, the lower section of the door forms a prop tothe upper by resting on ledge in the front wall, and it may, byproviding it with suitable springs, be made to take the position shownin these figures as soon as opened.

An apparatus of the construction described should be fitted to one ormore of the floors above the lower operated from the rear end of thebuilding, if there be suificient space for the purposeor, if preferred,the device may be so arranged as o be operated from either end.-

It will be seen that the return tube may be dispensed with by having thewire rope extend through purposeset forth.

the rear wall, and the hose drawn through the building from the-endopposite that which it enters.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The endless wire rope F, block G, hollow traveler H, provided withnozzle H,

the guide-frame E, and door D, in connection with the recess 0 andcornice-B, arranged and operatin% substantially as and for the purposesherein set fort 2. A fire-proof cornice, B, constructed in sections ofsheet or cast metal; supported in brackets B, and filled withnon-conducting material, said cornice being provided withcarrying-rollers c and return-tube b, as and for the purpose herein iscitied.

3. In connection with af'cornice constructed substantially as described,the water-pipe I, as and for the LUDwIG HERM'AN.

Witnesses:

FREDERICK Emma's, SAMUEL J. SPRAY.

